


Second Chances

by thewightknight



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Canon Divergence, M/M, Post TFA, nope they didn't die, old space husbands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-01-11
Packaged: 2018-09-16 17:49:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9283208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewightknight/pseuds/thewightknight
Summary: After fleeing the First Order, Hux and Ren find a nice quiet corner of the universe, with some interesting neighbors.





	

They watched from their unseen perch, beneath an overhang on a hill overlooking their new neighbors’ burgeoning settlement. The one with dark hair shouted something unintelligible and threw the panel he’d unbolted from their ruined shuttle, farther than any human should have been capable of. The other one, seemingly unafraid, approached him. A touch on the back of a hand, foreheads pressed together, and a kiss on the cheek, and they returned to work.

“That one worries me.”

“The Dark Side is strong in him.”

“We should do something about it.”

“We will wait and see.” The old blind man grinned at his partner, who rolled his eyes.

“You’ll wait. I’ll see.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Why this planet, Kylo?"

"It felt right. Safe."

"It rains all the time."

"Should feel like home then."

When they’d fled the First Order, Hux hadn’t really cared where they went, as long as they went together. Three years later he’d had many moments to regret his lack of input in helping to select their destination.

They’d dismantled the shuttle and turned it into shelter, a mishmash of compartments that kept them dry and mostly warm. Many of its components had been traded in for necessities, tools and seeds that let them start their little farm, and Kylo’s way with machinery brought in the occasional extra blanket or little things like new soles for their boots.

Nobody knew who they were. Most of the inhabitants of this lost world had never heard of the First Order, or the Republic even. Their ancestors had fled the Empire and they were content to lead peaceful, simple lives, far from politics and war. Hux was sure they weren’t the only defectors on the planet. Their closest neighbors had a martial way about them, even as ancient as they both seemed to be. Refugees from some conflict with the previous regime, he was sure, but as he didn’t want to invite questions he never ventured any. They never even exchanged names, simply referring to each other as ‘neighbor.’

As if thinking about them summoned them, he heard the tromp of feet approaching and took advantage of the respite, leaning up against his hoe. The blind one led the way, as usual, staff tapping at the ground in front of him. Hux had never seen him stumble over the rough terrain. His huge shadow trailed behind, grizzled white hair decked with a crown of water droplets.

“Afternoon, neighbors.” Shedding the stiff formality that had been bred into him from the day he took his first breath hadn’t been difficult, he’d found. Another part of his life he’d been happy to leave behind. Instead of the cheery response he’d usually receive, though, he was greeted with grim nods.

“Trouble coming,” the blind one said as Kylo emerged from their hut. “Best you both go inside. We’ll handle it.”

“What kind of trouble?” But Hux already knew the answer.

“Bounty hunters asking questions about a general and a knight. They are not too far behind.” The old man made shooing motions. “Go on now. Inside with you.” 

“We can’t let you …” 

“Trust in the Force.” 

To Hux’s amazement, Kylo echoed his words.

“Come on.” Taking his arm, Kylo pulled him away over Hux’s protests.

“Are you mad? We can’t let a couple of old men face off against bounty hunters for us.”

“It’s alright, Hux. If you won’t trust in the Force, will you trust me?”

Hux let himself be led, glancing back, slowing down as the large man pulled off his poncho, uncovering a repeater canon and a bowcaster. Nodding to them, he melted into the trees. The blind man placed himself in the center of the clearing in front of their hut. He had a different staff today, Hux noticed for the first time, longer than the one Hux was used to seeing. 

They watched through the slits on the shutters as he stood there, staff held lightly in front of him in both hands. It wasn’t long before they heard the whine of engines and five speeder bikes approached. The bounty hunters were a motley crew, humanoid, armored and so heavily armed he was surprised they could walk.

“Where are they?” one of them demanded.

“ _They_ is such a general term. You will have to be more specific.”

“The First Order scum. Tell us where they are.”

“There is no First Order here.”

Hux tensed as the five bounty hunters surrounded the old blind man. 

“Relax,” Kylo whispered in his ear, hands coming to rest on his shoulders.

The only movement the old man made as the bounty hunters circled him was a slight tilt of his head as his sightless eyes stared off into the distance.

“I’ll give you one more chance,” one of them said from behind him.

“I don’t feel like waiting,” the old man replied, and exploded into a flurry of motion. Thrusting backwards with his staff, he hit the bounty hunter behind him in the stomach, following through with another thrust that took the one in front of him under the chin. Whirling, he cracked a third in the side of the head, then with a spin the other end came crashing down on top of his helmet, the impact echoing across the clearing.

Finally realizing they were under attack, they tried to pull their weapons, shouting in pain as one by one the staff connected with their hands, knocking their blasters away. The first one recovered enough to press forward and a shot took him in the shoulder, knocking him across the clearing. Distracted, another one went down when the tip of the staff drove into his throat. Another shot from the trees dropped a third. One of the two remaining managed to draw another weapon, only to be maneuvered into shooting his comrade as the blind man feinted and then withdrew. Before the bounty hunter’s body hit the ground the staff connected one more time, and then there was silence.

Holstering his blaster as he materialized from the woods, the larger man shook his head.

“You’re slowing down.”

“Well, I am pretty old. At least your aim hasn’t gotten that much worse.”

Hux couldn’t restrain himself any longer, bursting from the cabin, shaking his head in astonishment.

“How ….?”

“The Force is with me.” 

“And so is the man with the giant gun.” 

“But ….”

Kylo interrupted his stuttering.

"How can we thank you?"

"We'll let you clean up, and we can call it even." The blind man winked at them.

“I’m sure it won’t be any problem, making their ship disappear,” the other one said. “Anything you might want from it?”

There were several things Hux could think of but the silence they’d earn from letting others scavenge the parts was worth more to them, so he shook his head. "Let them know the speeders are up for grabs too."

“Well, then. We’ll be off. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon!”

The blind one headed off, but the big one didn’t follow immediately after. 

"We know what it's like to be given a second chance, you know. A chance to grow old together. We’ve tried to make the most of ours. Hope you’ll do the same.” 

Hux didn’t know what to say to that, so he merely nodded.

Kylo had already begun to strip the bodies by the time their footsteps faded. They’d make good fertilizer. The south beds, he decided. 

“To second chances,” he said to himself as he went to go fetch the shovels.

**Author's Note:**

> You can make up your own Star Wars version of a Reichenbach Theory as to how Chirrut and Baze survived. I just wanted an excuse to write them as happily ever after old space husbands.
> 
> Feel free to [come say hi on tumblr](http://thewightknight.tumblr.com/)!


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